Heat wave prompts concern for outside workers

Mount Olive may change schedules if heat continues

Brutal heat hovering daily near the 100-degree mark over the area last week prompted concern and caution for town of Mount Olive officials.

Town Manager Charles Brown said he had concerns about public works employees who work outside.

He said department heads have been instructed about the issues, and go out of their way to make sure all employees are aware of the dangers of excessive heat.

“We stress safety to our outside employees and make sure needed fluids are available to them to keep them hydrated. They know if there is an issue they need to immediately get out of the heat,” he said.

Ongoing safety training on how to deal with heat is available to employees, he said.

“We just don’t want any of our employees out there having problems with the heat, and we go out of the way to stress these safety measures to them,” Brown said.

The extreme heat last week made it clear to department heads and employees how they need to safely handle it, he added. If the heat wave persists, some outside employees may have to come to work an hour earlier.

This allows them to get off one hour earlier in the afternoon when the heat is at its worse, Brown said.

A day does not go by that he doesn’t stress safety to department heads with personnel who work outside, he added.

“The health of our employees is valuable to us, and we want to make sure we do what is needed to handle the heat,” he said.